The Scriptures clearly teach that the flesh can never birth anything that is of the Spirit world, and that which is of the true Spirit will not be fleshly. Anything empowered by the flesh, God will burn up (I Corinthians 3:12-15), for "no flesh should glory in his presence" (I Corinthians 1:29). This is what Paul was referring to in II Corinthians 5:16-17, when he said "old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." The way we used to live was by the power of the flesh; now we are to live by the power of the Spirit. Anything we do for God through the power of the flesh is of the "old things." It is fleshly and will only reap corruption. …

Isaiah 35:8 tells us of a highway within the way; that highway is called the way of holiness. The Apostle Paul spoke of a "more excellent way" (I Corinthians 12:31) or a loftier road within the road. This is part of the drawing of the Holy Spirit after we are born again. We are "in the way" which is Christ Himself. However, within Christ there is a highway, a more excellent way, or as stated in Acts 18:26, "the way of God more perfectly."…

One of the great, enigmatic theological questions throughout Church history has been, "Why did God create Satan?" An answer to this question will help us to understand why certain apparently godly men have ultimately become men of compromise and enemies of the Truth.

In approaching this question let us carefully consider the few Scriptures concerning the beginning of this angel Lucifer. Two passages of important insight into Satan's genesis are Isaiah 14, a proverb to the King of Babylon, and Ezekiel 28, a lamentation to the King or Prince of Tyre. …

Many on this planet do not die well. Yet death is a crucial time in a person's life. Apart from the Rapture, death is the only portal through which one can get to heaven. The prelude to death is when the soul readies itself for the transition into eternity; it goes into the shadow of death. This is a very important season if God allows death to linger for any portion of time. The Christian must face it well and not fearfully. Some enter this season with fear and bondage. But Christ's death was also to help us through this dying process. "That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 3:14-15). …

Security is a needed, precious doctrine to be found in Christ by a genuine, abiding believer. It is, however, a deadly doctrine if embraced by a person who makes a profession of salvation while not being truly born again. Such individuals tend to use the doctrine as a license to sin and live lukewarmly, never knowing the reality of the indwelling Christ. Jude 4 warned of certain men who would creep in unawares (among God's people), "turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." Because of the lack of sound Bible teaching, we are witnessing more and more professing Christians who deny the Lordship of the Father and the Son in their lives while claiming to be secure no matter what they do. …

The New Age movement and its great ideological conversation are boldly growing throughout the civilized world. To understand its present intent, we must briefly view its accruing manipulative powers in history. In the early years of this movement (before the turn of the twentieth century), it was known as the New Consciousness movement. It was so named because it was a movement to literally alter the consciousness of its followers. Its intent was to bring a “new” understanding of the self in the light of global mindset. One of the prominent writings promoting this movement in the 1920s was Marilyn Ferguson's The Age of Aquarius. …

The journey of the wise men to Bethlehem marks one of the precious events surrounding the historical story of the birth of Christ. Matthew 2:1 declares, “Behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” Who these wise men were and what they believed have been the conjecture of various writers over the past two millennia. Although difficult to accurately resolve, some information about these men and the star that guided them is more reliable than other.

Among the twenty-seven precious books that comprise the eternal canon of the New Testament, there stands the epistle Jude next to the end. Although brief, its approximately six hundred words are of profound importance for the days in which we live. Of the New Testament’s four short epistles (Philemon, II and III John, Jude), Jude is the fullest in burden. Its providential placement in the biblical canon honorably makes it a “preface to the book of Revelation.” Appropriately, the message of this little book concerns the falling away of the institutional church on earth before the Second Coming of the Lord. It is the epistle that contrasts the Beloved of God and the Behated of God in history.

The previous article noted the Holy Spirit’s providential appointment of the epistle of Jude as a preface to the book of Revelation. Jude is the crucial book prophetically dealing with the falling away of the institutional church on earth throughout its history. By A.D. 45 this falling away had already commenced in the Church. Another Gospel, another Spirit, and another Jesus were being proclaimed by false Christs and false teachers already coming like wolves into the fold to spoil the flock.

Over the years of my earthly father’s ministry, a variety of observations have been made about his preaching. About thirty years ago, while preaching in a Bible Conference, he poured out his heart as he always did in preaching. After a particular service a young boy came up to him and asked, “Why do you preach so loud?” My father knelt down by him and in a gentle voice stated, “Well, young man, I am a bell, and in my preaching I am ringing out warnings to the people about this world, and sin, and the need of living for God. I preach loud and strong, for this is the purpose of a bell. Do you understand?” The young boy responded that he did. About that time his mother came up, and the boy immediately introduced my father to her by stating, “Mom, this preacher is a bell.” Of course, my father had to explain the situation to the mother. The young boy throughout the rest of the Bible Conference continued to address my father by saying, “Hello, Preacher Bell.”

The Lord called through His prophet, yea, His watchman Jeremiah, to stand by the roads and “ask for the old paths.” The strong Hebrew word ask means “to demand, to require, to interrogate.” Jeremiah calls for them to ask in order to find the old paths and walk in them. Regretfully, the people’s emphatic response was “we will not walk therein.” To compound the sad reality of stubbornness and rebellion, they no longer desired a watchman to sound the trumpet from his tower on the wall. Although the prophet warned them, they would not hearken to him.